Valve stem



March 2, 1943. s, @ETH 2,312,679

4 VALVE STEM l Filed oct. 23, 1941 /GQ 7 .INVENTOR BY sa/neo .5pm-H ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 2, 1943 VALVE STEM Leonard S. Speth, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Dill Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of hio Application ctober23, 1941, Serial No. 416,225

6 Claims. (Cl. 251-119) peripheral portion thereof may be ilexed for' purposes which will be .apparent from the further description of the invention.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dirt excluding member at the outer endof the valve stem which is adaptable to existing forms of stems employing the well known Dill and Schrader type of valve insides` or cores.

A further object of the invention is' to: providel a dirt excluding member which will below'in cost and which may be attached to the valve pin of the valve mechanism with which the dirt excluding member is to be associated with ease and quickly.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisY specification,v

in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a rubber valve' stern having an insert as a part thereof in which is employed a well known form of valve insides, showing the dirt excluding. member associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional elevation ofthe outer end of the valve stem and parts associated therewith, showing the position assumed by thel dirt excluding member when the usual air inilating chuck is applied to the Valve stem (the chuck being not shown);

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the dirt excluding member;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an elevation, with portions in section, of a valve stem in which the outer portion of the valve stem is slightly modified for cooper- .45

ation with the dirt. excluding member;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a screw driver such as would be appropriate for inserting andremoving standard cores or valve insides for valve stems, in connection with which the dirt `excluding member of the'present invention is employed;

Fig. '7 is a bottom plan view of the screw driver shown in Fig. 6; andv Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation illustrating the Y applicationof the screw driver to the valve in.;

sides or core where the corehas associated `with it a dirt excluding memberof the4 present invention.

At the present time valve stems for .usein connection with inner tubesfor pneumatic tires customarily have associated with the outer Vend of the stem a valve capwhich'is attached-to the outer end of the stem by screwing the same on the stem and customarily thevalve cap has; a packing inside which, cooperating with the; end of the stem, forms a secondary airseal, which simply means an air .seal which is .additional to the air seal providedyby the Valve mechanism which is carried within theA bore ofthe stem.

While unquestionably it is very desirablethat a valve cap be used both from the point rof providing asecondary air seal and fromv the standepoint of providing a means which will exclude the entrance of dirt or waterinto therendv of the valve stem, nevertheless, it is a well known fact that many valve caps become lost inactual use of tires and, ofcourse, it is also necessary to remove a valvecapwhen the tire is toghe: inated'and replace the same after A.inflation-,l

which latter operation ismany times forgotten or neglected.

Of course, a valvestem, when on,` a vehicle that is being driven and unprotectedatits outenend by means of a valve capis subject to the-likeli hood of thel entrance of dirt or water into the outer end of the valve stern, which may have the result of interfering withgthe proper functioning of the valve withinl the valve'stem, particularly if dirt works its way in far enough to-lodge-upon the-valve proper or adhere tothe seat with which the valve proper cooperates.

The physical embodiment in connection' with which my invention is herein disclosed has -tovdo with a construction which is commonly-usedon automobile tires at thepresent-time.

Referring to Fig. 1, l indicates aportion oi a` rubber stem in the outer portion of whichthere is secured a rigid or metal-insert 2. A portion of this insert extends beyondthe end of therubber part of the stem and the exterior portionoi the insert is threaded as indicated at 3 andds intended to receive a usual form of valve cap,

examples of which are well known in the.trade.`

secured a valve memberl l, which valvemember The threaded member is customarily formed with a bridge member I3 which extends trans of importance.

versely of the member 5, or with some equivalent structure, the purpose of which is to cooperate with a suitable tool, usually knownin I the trade as a screw driver, by which thevalve The bridge member I3 has a suitable central n.

opening I4, through which the pin 6 extends.v

In carrying out the present invention, a member I5 is provided which may conveniently be made of rubber. This member I5 has an opening I6 which is adapted to receive the outer end of the valve pin 6 and be held thereon either by frictional engagement or the pin may be cemented within the member I5. This member I5 has a radially extending skirt portion I'I which in its transverse dimension is such as to substantially or approximately be of the same diameter as the interior diameter of the outer chamber portion of the insert. The member I5 at the central portion thereof is slightly extended above the plane of the skirt portion I'I so that when the member I5 is in normal position, with the valve of the valve core closed, the central portion of the member I5 will extend slightly beyond the end of the insert so that it will be in position to be engaged by the proper part of an inflation air chuck, when such chuck is applied to the end of the stem, and cause the depression of not only the member I5 but the valve pin 6, opening the valve 1 and permitting the passage of air for inflating purposes, into the tube or other inflatable article in connection with which the valve stem is used.

It will be noted that the skirt portion II of the member I5 extends radially and may extend into actual contact with the wall of the chambered portion at the outer end of the insert or be in a position which is just short of contact. The Yfunctionof the member I5 with its extending skirt is, of course, to form what may be termed a closure member or perhaps more properly called a dirt excluding member, so that whether the skirt I1 is in full contact with the inner wall or is slightly out of contact with the inner wall of the chambered portion at the end of the insert is not a matter of importance. The important feature is that the member I5 shall be of such size as to efliciently form a barrier to the entrance of dirt and water, when the valve stem is in actual use on a tire.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a slightly modifiedl construction to that which has been previously described, in that the insert 2 at the outer end thereof and interiorly thereof is formed with a chamber 2|, which is slightly enlarged in width over that of the remaining portion of the cham- Y ber at the end of the stem. In this form the wall at the outer end of the insert is slightly deformed to provide an inwardly extending lip 22. In this case, the member I5, with its radial skirt I'I', is of such width, or diameter, that with the valve insides in normal position, the periphery of the skirt portion II will substantially lie in contact with the inturned lip 22.

While I have referred to the member I5 as preferably being made of rubber, it will be understood that no limitation is intended in that direction. The essential feature with respect to the member I5 is that the radial skirt portion Il shall be formed of a iiexible and resilient material, but whether the main portion of the member I5 is formed of such material is not a matter The reason for the importance of the skirt portion of the member I5 being formed of ilexible and resilient material lies first in the fact that, as shown in Fig. 2, when an inflating chuck is applied to the end of the valve stem, and the pin 6 of the valve core is depressed to open the valve of the core, the inflating air under high pressure can deflect the flexible skirt II so as to permit a free passage of air around the member I5 or, in other words, there is no choking of the air passage due to the presence of the member I5.

In the second place, the flexible skirt of the member I5 permits the application of a screw driver member such as shown at I8 in Fig. 6 to the valve insides in the customary manner. A suitable tool is indicated at I8 in Fig. 6, provided with an extension I9 which is hollow and also provided with a reentrant slot that provides depending lugs 20 at the end of the portion I9. The width of the slot or, in other words, the distance between the extensions 2U will, of course, be suilicient to straddle the bridge I3 of the valve insides. serted into the end of a valve stem and the screw driver provisions of the member I8 caused to function with respect to the bridge of the valve insides, eitherV to screw the same in or to screw them out and, because of the flexible character of the skirt I'I of the member I5, these members are, so to speak, folded over within the hollow portion of the part I9 of the member I8, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

Thus it will be seen that the provision of the member I5, with its resilient and flexible skirt portion I 'I, not only functions as a means to exclude dirt and water from entrance into the end of the valve stem, but, because of its construction, permits, without removal, the application of the screw driver either for inserting or withdrawing a valve insides.

While I have shown the application of my invention to a type of valve stem wherein the body is made of rubber and has an insert within the rubber portion, it will at once be apparent that such a member as that indicated at I5 is likewise applicable to the situation where the valve stem is constructed entirely of metal and where a standard core or valve insides is used within the same.

Another feature that should ybe noted is that the member I5 is such an article as may be separately made and sold so that persons may purchase theserubber members I5 and make their own application of the same to valves which' are at presenten oars they may `be driving.

It wlll also be apparent that with the use of the member I5 in the manner which has been described, and doing away with the use of a valve cap, it will be possible to omit the operation of threading the outer surface of the valve stem as has been customary where a valve cap is used.

Moreover, it will be vapparent that the dirt and water excluding member I5 may be used in con- This member I8 may therefore be in-f nection with any valve construction wherein there is a chambered portion at the outer end of the stem, into which chamber there extends a pin which is a part of the valve mechanism that controls the passage of air through the stem, this being true whether the valve mechanism employed is the same or diierent from that which is specifically shown in this application.

Where in the claims reference is made to a dirt excluding member it Will, of course, be understood that it includes a member which excludes dust, water, or any other foreign substance.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An article of manufacture adapted to be used on the headed outer end of the movable valve pin of a valve mechanism of the type used in the tubular valve stems for inflatable containers, said article comprising a relatively thick body portion having provision for securing it to the headed outer end of a valve pin, and a flexible relatively thin skirt portion extending radially from said body portion, said article having a total diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the outer end of the valve stem with which it is used.

2. An article of manufacture adapted to be used on the headed outer end of the movable valve pin of a valve mechanism of the type used in the tubular valve stems for inflatable containers, said article being formed of rubber and having a relatively thick body portion provided with a recess for encompassing and engaging the headed outer end of a valve pin and tenaciously retaining itself thereon by the gripping action of the rubber material, and a flexible relatively thin skirt portion extending radially from said body portion, said article having a total diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the outer end of the valve stem with which it is used.

3. A valve core adapted toV be removably secured in a valve stem which is provided adjacent its outer end with internal threads and comprising a barrel having a valve seat at one end thereof and externally threaded means at the opposite end thereof provided with a tool engaging portion, a valve pin movably extending through said barrel and means and provided with a valve adapted to cooperate with said valve seat, a spring operatively associated with said valve for normally maintaining said valve in engagement with said seat, and a dirt excluding member mounted upon the outer end of said pinv and beyond said means, said member comprising a central body portion having provision for securing the member to the outer end of said valve pin, and a ilexible skirt portion extending radially from said body portion, the total diameter of said member being substantially equal to the internal diameter at the outer end of the valve stem with which the valve core is used.

4. An article of manufacture adapted to be used on the outer end of the movable valve pin of a valve mechanism of the type used in tubular valve stems for inatable containers and to ex-1 clude dirt from entering the open end of the stems, said article comprising a central body portion having provision for encompassing and releasably gripping the outer end of the valve pin to retain the article thereon, and a relatively thin skirt portion connected with said body portion and extending radially therefrom and possessing sufficient rigidity to normally maintain itself substantially in a plane yet suciently flexible to be flexed from said plane when pressure is applied thereto by a tool or by the il-uid pressure of an air line, said article having a total diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the outer end of the valve stem with which it is used.

5. In combination, a tubular valve stem, a valve mechanism in said stem and including a valve and a movable valve pin operatively connected with said valve for actuating the latter and having its outer end located when said valve is seated in the open outer end of the stem, and a closure member for said open end of the stem having a total diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the stem at the outer end thereof and comprising a central body portion having provision for encompassing and releasably gripping the outer end of the valve pin to retain the member thereon, and a relatively thin skirt portion connected With said body portion and extending radially therefrom and possessing suflicient rigidity to normally maintain itself substantially in a plane yet sufciently flexible to be flexed from said plane when pressure is applied thereto by a tool or by the fluid pressure of an air line.

6. In combination, a tubular valve stem, a valve mechanism in said stem and including a valve and a movable valve pin operatively connected with said valve for actuating the latter and having its outer end located when said valve is seated in the open outer end of the stem, and a rubber closure member for said open end of the stem having a total diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the stem at the outer end thereof and comprising a central body portion provided With a recess for encompassing and engaging the outer end of the valve pin and tenaciously retaining itself thereon by the gripping action of the rubber material, and a relatively thin skirt portion connected with said body portion and extending radially therefrom and possessing suicient rigidity to normally maintain itself substantially in a plane yet suiiiciently flexible to be ilexed from said plane when pressure is applied thereto by.a tool or by the fluid pressure of an airline.

LEONARD S. SPETH. 

